


I'd Rather Be

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Character Study, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23315896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: After Steven was born Greg penned a letter in desperation.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	I'd Rather Be

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Escapism."

Greg finally lulled Steven to sleep. He brushed his fingers over his son’s sparse curls while he hummed a half-made song. He continued the song until he gingerly placed Steven into the crib. Greg silently made his way back to the couch and looked at the pen and paper on the table.

He thought of regular things to calm his nerves. Vidalia had helped him set up a baby area in her living room. It was Sour Cream’s old baby stuff. The Gems would visit tomorrow, still tentative with this new life in terms of fragility and what this meant to Rose. That was one part of his mind that was calm.

The other parts were constantly swarmed with worries, not helped by this task.

What would happen if Steven got sick? What if Greg couldn’t buy groceries this week? What if Steven’s gem popped out – Greg had absolutely no idea what it meant to be half human and half gem. What if Steven got sick, and it was a new form of sickness that gems nor humans could figure out? What if the town flooded and Greg had to put in emergency money to repairing the car wash?

It was why his hand shook as he penned the letter. He would admit, begrudgingly, that it was also because it had been so long since he sent a letter to them.

Greg was desperate so he wrote it how they would like; a plea for help first and foremost, apologizes for his supposed unacceptable behavior (“What, being a kid?” a sardonic part of him snapped) a stiff writing style that was devoid of anything “foolish,” or “dreams of grandeur,” and his hand was shaking too much.

He could feel the suffocating air of that house burning in his lungs.

Finally, Greg appealed to family.

Even if his parents’ definition of family was perfect, dressed up people in perfect, neat little slots to show off and stifle.

Greg signed his name, placed the letter in the envelope and sealed up the envelope. Steven began to cry from his crib so Greg hurried to calm the infant. The letter was sent later, in the midst of a flurry of parenthood and so many other things. The days passed on.

When Greg did not receive a reply he did not feel a hot sting of rejection. It was more like a hollow resignation.


End file.
